How Comprehensive is Your Weight Loss Program?

by Dr. Pamela Frank, BSc (Hons), ND

To lose weight and keep it off, an effective weight loss program needs to be comprehensive; addressing all aspects of why you weigh what you do.  There are many aspects to consider when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off in a healthy way. 

NEW!

There's a revolutionary new naturopathic weight loss program now available through Dr. Pamela Frank, BSc (Hons), ND at Forces of Nature.  The program is one of a kind and called Healthy and Active, it was originated by a medical doctor in Germany 6 years ago.  More than 800 healthcare practitioners are now utilizing the program to help people lose weight by optimizing their specific metabolism mainly through appropriate foods for each individual, proper eating habits and regular exercise.  Metabolism is measured and monitored through a panel of 42 blood tests.  ABO blood typing is also used to help determine which foods are optimal for you.  For more details on the program, download our Power Point Presentation on Healthy and Active: The Metabolism Program.  As well as assisting with weight loss, this program can help alleviate a number of health conditions including headaches, fatigue, skin rashes, PMS, peri-menopause symptoms and many other hormone imbalance issues.  

Does your weight loss program take all of these factors into consideration?

1. Blood sugar – Your blood sugar may be within the normal range, but if it’s fluctuating within that range you may be promoting fat and weight gain.  Addressing blood sugar stability through diet, exercise and stress reduction is the most important issue for those dealing with weight problems.
2. Insulin sensitivity – Insulin helps to normalize your blood sugar after you’ve eaten something starchy or sweet.  The more frequently you eat starchy or sweet foods the more insulin you produce.  The greater the amount and frequency of insulin production the greater the likelihood of developing insulin resistance, a condition where the body stops responding properly to insulin.  This is also referred to as a “pre-diabetic” condition.  Blood sugar will stay too high for too long and promote fat production.  There are a number of measures, including regular exercise, which can help improve sensitivity to insulin. 
3. Stress reduction – Stress hormones cause blood sugar spikes, insulin production and poor eating habits.  Stress reduction techniques like yoga, tai chi, breathing exercises, meditation, massage therapy and psychotherapy are vital components of any weight loss program. 
4. Cortisol – Cortisol is a stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands.  It helps the body cope with stress, but in doing so, can elevate blood sugar levels.  Cortisol also facilitates thyroid hormone function which helps increase metabolism. It’s important to produce adequate cortisol for that reason, but too much can also be detrimental to your weight loss efforts.
5. Emotional eating, psychological problems – Many people grapple with weight loss because they are suffering from stress, anxiety or depression that causes them to turn to food for comfort.  There are natural means of helping decrease the need for food even when you would normally resort to emotional eating.  
6. Healthy habits – Often one healthy habit breeds others, there’s a snowball effect.  If you can examine other areas of your life that may not be healthy for you and change those, healthy eating will often follow. 
7. Exercise – Regular exercise is an essential aspect of maintaining a healthy weight, diet alone just isn’t enough.  It doesn’t require a huge time commitment or an expensive gym membership.   Just fostering the habit of going for a brisk walk every single day for 30 minutes.  You could get off the bus half an hour from work and walk the rest of the way, take a quick walk on your lunch hour, park the car farther from work and walk, do a quick walk as soon as you get home from work before starting dinner.  It needs to be a daily habit as vital to your health and well-being as brushing your teeth and taking a shower.  The question is not “if” you’re going to exercise today, but “when”. 
8. Healthy thyroid function – The thyroid burns calories by regulating your metabolism and maintaining a healthy body temperature.  It works together with the adrenal glands.  Healthy thyroid function depends on adequate amounts of iodine (but not too much), tyrosine and selenium.  Herbs can help balance thyroid function.
9. Healthy adrenal function – The adrenal gland regulates blood pressure, blood sugar and helps the body adapt to stress.  They produce testosterone which helps with libido, energy, drive and motivation.  They help the thyroid hormone to function properly which then revs your metabolism.  Unhealthy adrenal gland function leads to poor stress coping mechanisms, anxiety, depression and fatigue. 
10. Healthy metabolism – Thyroid, adrenal glands and liver all play a role in maintaining a healthy metabolic rate.  Your metabolic rate will determine how well your body burns fuel like fat and carbohydrates and uses them to produce energy versus storing them as fat.  There are a few well researched supplements that help improve fat burning and increase metabolism and many products that claim to do that but do not.
11. Serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine are all neurotransmitters (NT’s) that act as appetite suppressors. Healthy therapeutic levels of these NT’s provide safe appetite control and eliminate emotional eating and carbohydrate/chocolate cravings. There are significant side benefits to optimizing neurotransmitter levels: alleviating depression, anxiety, insomnia, chronic fatigue, panic disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, PMS, fibromyalgia, migraines, hormonal dysfunction, adrenal fatigue and digestive disorders.
12. Fat burning – There are natural substances that have been scientifically proven to enhance fat metabolism.  Some of these substances are dependent on proper enzyme function in the body.  Deficiencies of vitamin B3, B6, C, zinc, and magnesium can inhibit enzymes responsible for healthy fat metabolism.
13. Leptin and adiponectin.  Leptin in an important component in the long term regulation of body weight.  Increasing leptin helps decrease food intake and increase metabolism.  Adiponectin is a protein hormone secreted by fat cells that helps regulate metabolism of fats and sugar.  Optimizing adiponectin and leptin levels plays an important role in maintaining a healthy weight. 
14. Sleep – Insufficient sleep has been associated with an increased risk for obesity. 
15. How to stick to a healthy diet – Making major diet and lifestyle changes doesn’t happen overnight.  It takes at least 3 weeks of sticking to healthy changes to change your existing habits.  You need help, support, monitoring and advice throughout this time to help you establish your new healthy regimen. 
16. Hydration – If you are dehydrated your appetite can increase to encourage consumption of something that may provide more water.  Every tissue in your body works more efficiently when water levels are optimal.
17. Medication side effects – Anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medications can lead to weight gain.